Colorado Springs Apartment Manager Threatens to Raise Rent of Obama Voters

If you voted to re-elect Barack Obama as president, should your rent payments go up?

It appears possible at an apartment complex in Colorado Springs, Colo., where the manager of Casa Adobe Apartments sent a letter to residents making the threat.

According to KRDO-TV, the ABC affiliate in Colorado Springs, John Obringer recently sent out the letter that mainly focused on cutbacks on staff and maintenance issues.

The letter reportedly states:

“Due to the stupidity of the U.S. electorate, the Obama-administration’s continued assault on small business is resulting in increased taxes, regulations and mandates that are forcing the management company (B&J Enterprises, Inc.) for Casa Adobe Apartments to modify its operation to survive. This has resulted in layoffs, work-time reductions and decreased pay for workers. Consequently, the business hours are now Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Please plan accordingly … We are working hard to maintain the field, cleaning and maintenance personnel in place without raising rents, but that too is inevitable due to the upcoming inflation and market forces.”

Obringer continued: “If you have any questions, comments or criticisms, please call me. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and Happy Holidays to you and yours.”

Then he added, “BTW: If you voted ‘Democrat’ on Nov. 6, please notify me ASAP so I can raise your rent first to help pay for what you asked for.”

www.nationalreview.com...

Residents say nothing has changed thus far, and Obringer has refused requests to be interviewed.

Sounds like another person unsure of what Obama is going to do, or not do.

Seems like more and more small business owners are getting very restless waiting for the bomb to drop.
Not sure if it'll be a dud or wipe them out.


ETA: Personally, I feel like he was being sarcastic about charging Obama voters more rent......
His frustration as a small business owner is being stretched to the limits thanks to Obama and he's blaming the ones that re-elected him.

I think somewhere in the FAIR HOUSING act would discourage this possibility, if he is venting so be it, but discrimination can take on many forms, particularly in this instance.

en.wikipedia.org...

The Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968) introduced meaningful federal enforcement mechanisms. It outlawed: Refusal to sell or rent a dwelling to any person because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Discrimination based on race, color, religion or national origin in the terms, conditions or privilege of the sale or rental of a dwelling. Advertising the sale or rental of a dwelling indicating preference of discrimination based on race, color, religion or national origin. Coercing, threatening, intimidating, or interfering with a person's enjoyment or exercise of housing rights based on discriminatory reasons or retaliating against a person or organization that aids or encourages the exercise or enjoyment of fair housing rights.

Clearly he is upset and lacks tact in his business candor. While the majority of the letter is okay, the inclusion of his personal beliefs places him now in the position of a rock and hard spot. On one hand, he has every right, being the owner of the complex, to determine the fair-market value of his units under control.

**note, this is somewhat right depending if Colorado Springs or Colorado practice rent control; I will have to research that**

What he has done though is placed legal reason, especially by pinpointing certain voting preferences of tenets, is a challenge when their rent does go up; regardless if it is a natural increase needed to happen at the end of their lease term agreement.

If he excluded his personal beliefs and his jab at the electorate that voted for President Obama, it would just be an informative letter sent out giving fair-warning of possible increased expenditures and rent increases thereof. As is now, he will be hard pressed to even raise rent in a valid function because of this letter. All it will take is one person to claim fair housing practice violation and he will be muddled in court.

He'll be lucky if the democrats in his complex don't up and leave. What a jerk. Clearly not fit to be a businessman. I hope the Obama voters pack up and leave him broke for a couple months.

Business owners who are complaining are doing so on a completely speculative basis. The Health Care act is not in place, Bush cuts haven't expired yet...what policies have squeezed small businesses?

The economy is trending upward.

because the guy is full of cow dung and has the intelligence of a moron.

you don't have to be a genius to own an apartment complex. all you need is the mental capacity to sign your name.

and he's clearly showing that money and intelligence aren't mutually exclusive.

that guy wouldn't know a market force if jumped out of his garbage room and hit him in the head with a rotten vegetable.

he's another sore loser ignorant muppet who is actually causing the inflation that the republicans brainwashed millions of dummies into believing if obama was elected.

There is a difference if his letter were to just inform current tenets that rent will rise due to increased costs. That isn't anything to clamor about. We deal with it every day. Similar to if Colorado Springs imposed a 2% tax on all rented property; he would pass it along and he is well within his power to explain why rent went up.

Instead he decided to make his political beliefs very public and very directed. He will pay dearly for it as he should because actions have consequences. While it would be a waste of resources for the Government at this point to start investigating him -- I truly believe his stance will invoke market forces that he won't be too happy with that will correct his understanding -- they should if he does start targeting certain tenets because he caught wind of their voting preferences.

Come to think of it, people could dig into my voting preferences and think I am a Republican. They would be woefully wrong when they dig further and realize I have been voting for a dead person for the past 5 presidential elections.

The guy is a complete idiot in this aspect. He may be right, but this direction he took will only hurt his business.

This guy is an idiot. Most of the cost involved in renting real estate comes from the local and state government in the form of property taxes and building codes. The ACH hasn't even gone into effect yet so any speculation on the cost is just that-speculation. Something tells me these overly dramatic fuss pots won't be paying nearly as much as they believe.

so he thinks these people are going to tell him who they voted for, is he mentally unstable or just an idiot?

did you vote for obama? um that's private information but if you must know i voted for whoever you did.

I think the threat was tongue in cheek

but this idiot has ruffled feathers and brought attention to himself

I bet it back fires big time

dummy

Everyones "rent" is going up soon enough...

In the form of inflation and tax increases. No need for the landlord to do it. Obama will take care of that.

As an aside, I do won rental property. My property taxes have tripled, but I havn't raised the rent... yet. But it's coming. I hate to do it becuase I know they struggle. I match the rent due date with when the disability checks come in. But hey, I'm not running a not-for profit enterprise.

And I can guarentee my tennents all voted Obama.

I think just by sending the letter he has violated the fair Housing Act. You cannot discriminate based on sex, race, age, religious or political beliefs. A threat to do so probably qualifies as a violation as well. Hope the next we hear of this guy is him being taken down to the courthouse in cuffs. he should have to answer for his hate.

Most small businesses go bust because their owners are idiots. That is why we need liberal policies so that we can prop these guys up after they fail time and time again.

reply to post by snarky412


Its ok, Obama will cover the extra cost.. and buy their gas too.

Its just another KNUCKLEHEAD who is being a DRAMA-QUEEN over having lost the election and being forced to accept the fact there is a President who remains in office DESPITE their RAGING HATE for the man.

If Romney were elected, he would have been in MUCH WORST shape soon enough. But some folks cant get rid of their INSANE EXTREME HATE of Obama. They cannot ACCEPT IT AND MOVE ON, so they have to take out their RAGE on others.

Many HATEFUL WHINERS, and SORE LOSERS over this election. Many being folks who aren't familiar with not getting their WAY in life and just cant stop CRYING over this.

Fact is even if I declared what political affiliation I had it doesn't mean I voted that way. I vote for the best candidate not party. Neither party is infallible, as to this letter, as I inferred in my first post the Fair Housing laws prohibit this type of behavior, tongue in cheek or not, if I was a renter he would already be being sued.

Reply to post by snarky412

How exactly is the landlord supposed to ascertain who his tenants voted for?

I mean, common sense would dictate that if admitting to being pro-Bama leads to higher rent, that each one would lie and say the went Romney.

This landlord should worry more about his building's issues and less about who people are voting for.


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reply to post by snarky412


This kind of bull# should be covered under anti-discrimination laws.

If I were a landlord, I wouldn't give a # who you voted for as long as:

1. You paid your rent on time
2. You were considerate of your neighbors

That's it. If you burn crosses, you get evicted. You make threats? You get evicted.

You get the point.

Be respectful and considerate of your neighbors, regardless of whom they vote for.

Frankly, there is no way for him to determine who his tenets voted for unless they offer the information or had political signs. If he tries to base it on race with minorities being Obama supporters and whites being Romney supporters, he is just asking for legal problems.

Originally posted by davjan4
My property taxes have tripled, but I havn't raised the rent... yet.

WOW! I don't know what part of Texas you live in; but here in Plano, my property taxes have actually gone down in each of the past 4 years.

It seems a little late for threats , but I think it's funny and I like it . Problem is though there almost has to be some kind of law against retaliating against people for the way they vote . Plus even if I do like it it's probably just plain wrong .

This clown can't raise rent now even if he really has to without getting sued. And if he's just the property manager and not the owner, he's in even bigger trouble.